Coetvertible cart



F. J. HOFER.

CONVERTIBLE CART.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2,- ms,

1 3 9 1 U o Patented May 27, 1919.

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F. J. HOFE R.-

CONVERTIBLE CART. APPLICATION FILED JULY 2,1918.

Patented May 27, 1919.

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F. J. HOFER.

CONVERTIBLE CART.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2,1918.

Patented May 27, 1919.

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- avwawtoz F712 fi/ofez' V $1, mtowu S FRANK J. HOFER, OF EFFINGHAM, ILLINOIS.

CONVERTIBLE CART.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2?, 1919.

Application filed July 2, 1918. Serial No. 243,011.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK J. Horne, a citizen of the United States, residing at Effingham, in the county of Effingham and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Carts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to two wheel vehicles commonly known as carts, and has for one of its objects to provide a device of this character including attachments whereby the cart may be adapted for conveying various forms of commodities or loads.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character having an attachment which may be employed as a back to the body of the vehicle when folded, or as a cover or guard to the vessels carried upon the vehicle, when distended.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, as hereinafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out.

in the claims.

The improved vehicle is designed more particularly for use in connection with the stock feeding portions of dairy farms and the like, and is designed to provide a convenient means for conveying the feed to the stock and likewise for conveying away the cleanings from the stable, and for similar purposes, and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved device in its simpler form,

Fig. 2 is a side view of the parts shown in Fig. 1 with the nearest carrying wheel removed to show the construction of the framework of the improved vehicle,

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Figs. 1 and 2,

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section illustrating the improved vehicle arranged for carrying articles or products when deposited in pails or other vessels, with the combined back and cover member distended for use as a cover to the pails or other vessels, the latter'being indicated by dotted lines,

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail'illustrating the combined cover and back folded and arranged for use as the back member of the body of the vehicle,

Fig. 6 is a plan view-with all the members forming the body or box of the vehicle in place,

Fig. 7 is a detached perspective view of thecombined cover and back in distended position,

Fig. 8 is a detached perspective view of the front member of the bodyor box,

Fig. 9 is a detached perspective view of one of the extension side members,

The parts shown in Figs. 7 8, and 9 are on a reduced scale.

The improved vehicle may be of any required size, but generally the platform or support, represented as a whole at 10, will be about 28 by 30 inches for convenience, but these sizes may be varied as required. The platform 10 is provided with stationary side members 11 directed upwardly from its side edges, and for an ordinary vehicle will be about two inches high. The platform 10 with its side members 11 is supported by an arched axle, represented as a whole at 12, with the lower portion extending through the platform 10 and dividing the latter into two portions. The members 11 serve the two-fold purpose of stationary sides to the platform, and also as cleats to unite the two portions of the platform. The axle journals 13 extend laterally from the axle and are spaced a considerable distance above the upper line of the platform as shown, the carrying wheels represented at 14 being of the usual construction. By forming the axle arching downwardly the platform 10 is located relatively near the ground, while the wheels 14 may be relatively large to facilitate the movements of the vehicle.

Bolted or otherwise secured at 15 to the side members 11 are rails 16 extending rearwardly and upwardly and united at their rearends by a handle member 17, the handle member being preferably secured in position between the rails by cap bolts 18. The rails 16 are further secured in position by a transverse tie bolt 19 as shown. Connected at their lower ends to the rear edge of the platform 10 are combined standards and guides 20, while similar standards or guides 21 are connected at their lower ends by bolts or other fastening devices 22 to the side members 11. The standards 20 are extended at their lower ends beneath the platform 10 as shown at 23 and rigidly secured thereto in any suitable manner. At their upper ends the members 20 are bolted or otherwise secured at 24 to the-rails 16. The journals 13 of the axle extend through the rails 16 as shown, and the rails are reinforced where the axle journals pass through them by clamp plates 16 so that the cavities which are formed in the members 16 to receive the axle are prevented from weakening the rails.

At their upper ends the standards 21 are directed inwardly or toward each other as shown at 25, and bolted or otherwise secured to a combined transverse stay and tie member 26. Bolts or other suitable fastening devices 27extend through the rails 16, the upper portion of the standards 21, and into the stay member 26, thus locking the rails 16, standards 21, and stay member 26 firmly together.

The stay member 26, standards 20 and 21 and rails 16 thus coact to support the platform in position and to produce an eflicient framework which is supported upon the arched axle.

Mounted to oscillate in bearings 28 beneath the platform 10 is a rock shaft 29 having a lateral arm 30 terminating in a foot 31 extending from its forward end, and an operating lever 32 connected to its rear end rearwardly of the platform. The lever 32 extends to a point above the upper line of the stay 26 and the bolt 19 ancLterminates in a hand grip 33 convenient to the hand of the operator.

It will be noted that the lever arm 32 extends between the members 19 and 26 which thus serve as guides to the lever arm and prevent its displacement.

The lateral arm 30 is of greater length than the distance between the platform 10 and the ground on which the wheels operate, so that when the lever arm 32 is turned to its left hand position the foot portion 31 will engage the ground and elevate the platform and hold it in fixed position, as hereafter explained.

Attached to the under face of the stay 26 are supports 34, the object to be hereafter explained.

The improved vehicle includes a combined back and guard or cover member for vessels or other-receptacles which may be carried upon the platform 10. The combined top and guard member'is foldable to reduce its size and enable it to be employed as the back member of the body of the vehicle and adapted to be extended when employed as a guard or cover member. The two portions of the combined guard and cover member are represented conventionally at 3536 and covered on one side by a sheet of suitable fabric such as rubber cloth or the like and represented at 37. The fabric member performs the two-fold function of a cushion to bear upon the pails or other vessels which are deposited upon the platform and thus form an air tightpacking thereto, and like wise as a hinge to flexibly unite the members 3536. By this means the members 3536 may be distended and disposed edge to edge or'with their surfaces in alinement, as shown in Fig. 4, or folded together to form a back for the improved vehicle as shown in Fig. 5. Near their ends the members 3536 are strengthened and supported by cleats 38-39, the cleats likewise serving as supports for extension side members, as hereafter explained. A shorter stop cleat 40 is attached to the member35 centrally thereof, as shown. Pivoted at 41 to one of the members, for instance the member 35, is a locking bar 42- having a pin 43 adapted to enter a cavity or socket in the stop cleat 40 when the member 42 is disposed in parallel relation thereto, while the member 36 is provided with a keeper 44 with which one end of the member 42 engages when the latteris disposed substantiallyat a right angle to the meeting edges of the members 3536. By this means the members 3536 may be locked in distended position as shown in Fig. 4, or released and folded together when the member 42 isreleased as shown in Fig. 5. At one edge the member 35 is provided with a depending flange 45 and with a clamp device 46 pivoted at 47 to the flange 45, and adapted to bear by its terminal 48 beneath the platform 10 when the combined cover and closure 3536 is disposed in its operative position as shown in Fig. 4, to hold the forward part of the cover in contact with the vessels. The members 3536 are provided with recesses at their outer corners to engage over the side members 11 when-the members 35-36 are folded together and employed as a back member, as shown in Fig. 5. Slidably disposed upon the member 36 are bolt devices 49 adapted when distended to engage by their outer ends in the space between the members 20 and 21. Byvthis means the united members 3536 are held from. movement longitudinally of the vehicle, while the extended terminals of the cleats 39 engage over the catches 34 which thus operate to prevent downward displacement of the members 3536while theimem- 115 ber 26 prevents upward displacement of the same. The members-26, 34, 46, and 4900- operate to support the members 35 -36 in position. 7

' When the members 3536 are folded to- 120 gether face to face the notches orrecesses will engage side by side over the membersll, while the bolts 49' will pass between the guide-members 20 21 and. thus hold the members 3536 in folded position at-the 125 rear of the vehicle to form an effectual back thereto, as will be-obvious. Extension-side members 50 are provided and adapted'to bear at their lower edges upon-the upper edges of the stationary side members 11, and 180 thus form upwardlydirected extensions of the same. Each side member 50 is provided with a hook device 51 adapted to engage a staple or the like 52 attached to the rails 16. By this means when the extension side members 50 are deposited in position the hooks 51 will be engaged with the staples 52, and thus lock the extension side members in position. At their rear ends the members 50 bear against the forward face of the member 35 when the latter is arranged to operate as a back to the vehicle. The cleats 38, 39, being spaced from the ends of the members 35, 36, serve as guards to the rear ends of the extension side members 50. The cleats thus perform the two-fold function of supports for the members 35, 36 and likewise as supporting cleats for the rear edges of the extension side members 50. At their forward ends the side members 50 are provided with spaced cleats 53 to receive the ends of a front member 54. The folded rear member 3536, the extension side members 50, and the front member 54: coact with the platform 10 and stationary side portions 11 to form a box or receptacle for the vehicle. Attached to the front member 54: are yieldable supports or catches 55 which bear over the upper edges of the members 50, and thus assist in holding the parts in operative position.

The improved vehicle may be arranged to include only the platform 10, axle 12, and wheels 14: together with the rails 16 and hand grip 17 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and will be found very convenient, when thus arranged for transporting various articles or commodities.

The combined cover and back when distended may be supported at its rear side in parallel relation to the platform 10 as shown in Fig. l, by inserting the projecting terminals of the combined cleats and guides 38 between the stay 26 and the catches 34, and

Gopies'of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the holding the cover in contact with the pails or other vessels, indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4, by employing the coupling member 46.

The packing fabric 37 is thus held in contact with the rims of the pails and prevents the contents from spilling and likewise prevents the escape of odors. The packing fabric likewise protects the contents of the pails from dust or the like.

On one end of the rod 19 is a ring or eye 56 by which is carried a chain 57 adapted to be engaged over a hook 58 at the opposite end of the said rod. If a barrel be placed upon the platform the chain may be passed in front of the barrel and then engaged over the hook so that the barrel will be firmly held upon the platform and may be transported from place to place.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A vehicle including a platform, standards rising from the sides of the platform at the rear edge thereof, a stay connecting the upper ends of said standards, brackets depending from the stay, a cover constructed at one end to engage between said brackets and the stay, and a clamp carried by the front end of the cover and constructed to engage under the front edge of the platform.

2. A vehicle comprising a platform, side bars on the platform, spaced pairs of standards rising from the sides of the platform at the rear edge thereof, hingedly connected memlbers constructed at their ends to fit between the spaced standards and over the side bars, cleats on said members to bear against the standards, and fastening devices on one of said members to engage between the standards of the spaced pairs.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

FRANK J. HOFER. [L 5.]

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

